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Winter season attracted 2.5 million foreign visitors to Finland

30/09/2008

A total of 2.5 million foreign visitors came to Finland in the period from November 2007 – April 2008, representing a 9% increase on the same period a year earlier. The figures were compiled from about 15,000 interviews conducted on Finland’s busiest border crossings by Statistics Finland and the Finnish Tourist Board.

The biggest number of visits was from Russia with a total of 1.1 million visits. Almost 70% of the visits from Russia were daytrips which did not include overnight accommodation. A third of the Russian visitors mentioned shopping as the main reason for their trip.

A third of all the foreign visitors travelled to Finland for work reasons, while a fifth came to enjoy the outdoor winter sports activities. On average, the visitors stayed 3.6 nights in Finland. The number of daytrips increased by 15% from the previous winter. More than half of the visitors stayed in hotels during their trip, while 16% more rented a cottage than the year before. Helsinki was the most popular destination, with about a third of the visitors coming to the capital. Kainuu and the Finnish lake district attracted more foreign visitors than before.

The foreign visitors spent a total of EUR 714 million in Finland during the winter season, which was an increase of 8% from the year before. A third of the spending came from Russian visitors. On average, each foreign visitors spent EUR 61 per day during their stay. Those who came to Finland mainly for work reasons spent significantly more at an average of EUR 81 per day, while those on leisure trips spent EUR 74 per day. The biggest portion of the spending went on shopping, comprising 40% of the total consumption.

Source: Statistics Finland